The Asbury Park Press reported last week that Monmouth County's provisional vote count will start today. With only 18 votes separating Democrat Amy Mallet and Republican John Curley from the unofficial machine count, partisan control of the Board of Freeholders hangs in the balance.
It has been reported from various sources that there were between 3200 and 3800 provision ballots submitted. How many have been validated has not been reported.
The APP article states that the count could take two days. Monmouth County Clerk Claire French told MoreMonmouthMusings on November 5 that the optical scanning machines tabulate that ballots at a rate of 120 per hour.
Unless one candidate wins an overwhelming majority of the provisional vote count, there will likely be a recount of both the provisional ballots and the machine ballots. Given irregularities reported nationally with both optical scanners and the electronic voting machines no reasonable person would expect the loser not to demand a recount.
Regardless of the outcome of these counts, the results of this election reveal that the Monmouth GOP has its work cut out for it. As Tom DeSeno reported last week we got creamed in "Urban Monmouth." This can be chalked up to the Obama factor, but does reveal a vulnerability in the 11th legislative district that the Trenton/Camden Democrats will likely look to exploit next year.
Of greater concern should be the county candidates weakness in the bayshore/13th legislative district where the County GOP showing was very weak, despite strength on the top of the ticket for McCain and Zimmer.
The Healey Mirage
1 day ago
9 comments:
McCain won Monmouth County by a large margin. There is some reason peope who voted for McCain did not support the local GOP. over 10,000 GOP McCain votes were lost at the Freeholder level. It can only get worse when we have no strong GOP pull at the top of the ticket.
Interesting numbers, especially Matawan where our council candidates won.
By the way, has the Division of Elections extended the time allowed to ask for a recount? I remember reading that County Clerk French asked for it, but I don't think I caught an answer to it.
I still stand by my original analysis of Tommy's post that I don't think State Democrats will take the numbers in urban monmouth too seriously, and if they do I wish them luck getting the same turnout in any legislative election. It's a cause for concern but we've seen this before when D's threw money near the end against Rible and Angelini and it barely had and they still won pretty convincigly.
Eric Sedler said...
Interesting numbers, especially Matawan where our council candidates won.
It's not just Matawan. GOP Municipal candidates also outperformed the Freeholder candidates in Atlantic Highlands, Highlands,and Middletown, Union Beach
Come up with any reasonable explanation for this Art?
I mean I know local politics rule the day and voters are ticket splitters, but it seems a little odd.
It's a head scratcher..that's for sure.
Eric go back to the race before that when it was Kean and Corodemus v Doherty and Reilly.
The Camden Dems threw far more money in that race than they did against Rible and Angelini.
Kean and Corodemus were losing with all votes counted but one town.
Fortunately, that one town was Wall Township.
That's how close out of county money came to beating us.
Let's hope you are right and Camden doesn't see an opportunity in the 11th again.
Eric Sedler said...
Come up with any reasonable explanation for this Art?
Any explanation of the bayshore results would be speculative. Word on the street over the summer is that Curley would do better in the bayshore than Burry. Lillian probably turned that around with her actions regarding FEMA, which John didn't talk much about.
Mason being from the bayshore no doubt help the Dems.
The Bayshore is in Pallone's district. Maybe he had coat tails.
Overall, I think it is safe to say that money played a very large role. Joe Oxley inherited a $30K+ debt from his predecessor. Would another $30K for a mailer or radio/cable TV spots made a difference? One would think so. The Dems had plenty of out of county money.
Beck beat Karcher with old Chair even though dems outspent the GOP what was it 4-1, 5-1? Trying to blame prior admin and money is misplaced. Unless the party is energized and factions in power are not wasting time trying to take down those who are not 100% in line, get used to this. Obama outspent McCain in NJ and McCain had no chance, but he carried Monmouth County.
McMorrow is probably a safe seat so we are looking at 2 years of dems minimum.
Local republicans did well in the bayshore--matawan and middletown especially, and of course, the top of the ticket too. There was clearly a problem with the county campaign that underperformed both the top and bottom of the ticket, which seldom happens.
Looking over these numbers again and it's just mind boggling. I'd like to see a recount and some double-checking. I think we are all a little suspicious because of the initial stories we heard about glitches, so keep that in mind.
But still Curley's numbers in Middletown are what strikes me. He focused a lot of his energy on that town and that's the result that came up?
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